Four free transfers and two loan deals Everton could target in summer window

Sean Dyche and Kevin Thelwell will need to fight through another Everton summer with the threat of losing some of their big names and rebuilding on a shoestring.

Last summer, the Blues dipped into the loan market while also snapping up Ashley Young on a free transfer and agreeing permanent transfers on buy now, pay later deals for Beto and Youssef Chermiti. Meanwhile, the window ended with the loss of academy starlet Tom Cannon and deadline day sale of Alex Iwobi, an ever-present under Dyche.

The coming months will be similar. The financial uncertainty posed by a doomed takeover and the challenge to comply with league spending rules for the first time in three years mean Everton will sell players. Big names such as Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana could depart, while the club will have to make decisions over players entering the final year of their deals, such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

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Any improvements will likely be free agents, loan deals or deals funded by the proceeds of player sales - with Jack Harrison someone Dyche would like to look at again but whose future will be influenced by whether his parent club Leeds United make it through the Championship play-offs. With a savvy summer once again on the horizon, here is a look at some of the out-of-contract players the Blues could target as they prepare for a rebuild, and speculation about who might be a feasible loan.

Che Adams

Free agents this summer include Che Adams, who has significant Premier League experience and has been a key part of Southampton’s promotion push this season. Adams has 25 goals across four seasons in the top flight so he has not been prolific, though some of those Southampton campaigns were tough and his most recent one ultimately ended in relegation. This season Adams has hit 17 goals in all competitions as he has helped propel the Saints into the Championship play-offs. Crucially, he is resilient - across the previous five seasons he has made no fewer than 28 league appearances in each one and has so far played 45 times this year. At 27, he is approaching his peak. Adams is also a player who has attracted serious interest from Everton during Thelwell’s reign and during Dyche’s stint at the club, and therefore could be revisited should the club need attacking reinforcements.

Lloyd Kelly

Another player who is out of contract and could be considered is Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly. Should Branthwaite depart, and given both the fee he would likely command and the talent he has displayed there is a real chance of this, then Kelly could be a candidate to replace him. Whether Dyche would be seeking a first choice replacement or would look to return to Michael Keane, as he did at the start of this season, is unclear. But unless Dyche is plotting a move to three-centre backs it appears unlikely Ben Godfrey would be considered in the middle, while Mason Holgate’s future is also in doubt given he has spent the season elsewhere. Dyche prefers commanding presences at the back and Kelly could be one. As a left-sided centre back he could present a viable option to fill the void in that position and slot in alongside James Tarkowski. He also has senior experience at left-back, adding a layer of versatility that could be invaluable. At 25, he has both experience and plenty of his career ahead of him.

Ben Johnson

One of the most obvious areas in need of resolution this summer is right-back. Seamus Coleman has been offered a new deal but at 35 and having suffered with injuries across the past two campaigns, succession planning is crucial. Nathan Patterson may have been just that and could still be. But he enters this summer with the latest serious injury of two years that have been plagued by problems for the Scotland international. Dyche’s apparent reluctance to use Patterson also suggests that he may not view the former Rangers man as the answer on the right of the defence. With this in mind, Ben Johnson could come into the thinking of those at Finch Farm. Currently due to leave West Ham United this summer, the 24-year-old could be looking for an opportunity to reboot his career and Everton may not be a bad destination for either party.

Josh Brownhill

The centre of Everton’s midfield is likely to be in flux this summer. Andre Gomes and Dele are out of contract while a decision needs to be made over Idrissa Gueye. The club has the option to extend the 34-year-old’s deal and he has risen to prominence in recent weeks with his performances underpinning the week of victories that secured Premier League survival. Amadou Onana is likely to be courted and could leave Merseyside, meaning this area becomes even more important regardless of whether Gueye stays. Against this backdrop, Josh Brownhill may become an option. His situation is in the air because Burnley have an option to extend his current deal. But should that not happen, the Blues are not a far-fetched destination. The central midfielder was brought to Turf Moor by Dyche and would fit into the tactical approach he has assumed at Goodison. He could also provide some cover on the left of midfield having had some experience there, while his Burnley past means he has a pre-existing playing relationship on the left side of centre midfield with former Clarets team-mate Dwight McNeil working outside of him, where he features for the Blues.

Amad Diallo

Everton will again turn to the loan market, quite possibly for attacking support - as the club did this year. The likes of Amad Diallo, who has had increasing gametime for Manchester United since Christmas but could find himself down the pecking order at Old Trafford next summer, could offer a solution to the lack of wide options and the squad’s limited pace. Diallo has enjoyed greater prominence in recent weeks - he scored the extra time winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup and started the league game against Arsenal on Sunday. But a summer of transition at Old Trafford will involve discussions with wide players including Jadon Sancho, while Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Antony are also competing for minutes. Everton have repeatedly turned to Old Trafford in Thelwell’s transfer windows - unsuccessfully looking at young players such as Anthony Elanga and Hannibal Mejbri. They could go back and a deal for someone like Diallo, who the club has had an interest in previously, could be worth exploring.

James McAtee

Staying on the other end of the East Lancs, another exciting prospect who has top-flight experience is Manchester City youngster James McAtee. The attacking midfielder has six goal involvements at a poor Sheffield United this season and in racking up more than 30 top-flight appearances will enter next season with decent experience alongside his potential. Somewhere like Everton could offer him the chance to take another step forward in his career while offering Dyche a different option going forward as he looks to add depth to his squad on a small budget.